Olive (band)

Olive

Company type	Musical group
Industry	Music
Founded	1994 in London, England
Founder	Tim Kellett, Robin Taylor-Firth, Ruth-Ann Boyle
Defunct	2003
Headquarters	London , England
Products	Music albums, singles

Olive was a trip hop ensemble originating from London, England, formed by producer and songwriter Tim Kellett, keyboard programmer and producer Robin Taylor-Firth, alongside vocalist Ruth-Ann Boyle. The group released two albums, with the second album produced without Taylor-Firth's involvement. Their 1996 track "You're Not Alone" achieved the number one position on the UK Singles Chart.

Origins

Before forming Olive, Tim Kellett and Robin Taylor-Firth had already established themselves in the music industry; Kellett was a member of Simply Red between 1985 and 1991, while Taylor-Firth collaborated with George Evelyn's project Nightmares on Wax. The two connected through a shared acquaintance and began working together.

From demos to breakthrough

By 1994, they had recorded three demo tracks—"Miracle," "Falling," and "You're Not Alone"—in Kellett’s home studio. In search of a lead singer, Kellett discovered Ruth-Ann Boyle through samples on The Durutti Column’s 1994 release Sex and Death. After auditioning with "Miracle," Boyle joined the group. These demos attracted attention from major record labels, culminating in a contract with RCA in September 1995.

The band completed their first album by January 1996. Their single "You're Not Alone," initially released that year, reached number one in 1997 following a remix, selling over half a million copies. Although it had limited success in the US and Australia, subsequent single "Outlaw" and the album Extra Virgin achieved moderate acclaim.

In 1997, Extra Virgin was re-released featuring an additional remix disc with contributions from producers such as Monkey Mafia, Roni Size, and the duo Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne. To promote this edition, Olive embarked on a UK, German, and US tour with a seven-piece band lineup, including several performances on Top of the Pops.

Prior to their sophomore album, Taylor-Firth departed to concentrate on Nightmares on Wax and other ventures like Sub Machena and BudNubac, leaving Olive as a duo. After parting ways with RCA UK, they signed with Madonna's Maverick Records, reportedly gaining Madonna’s support following a live show in Germany.

In 2000, Olive unveiled their second album Trickle, which showcased a stronger dance music influence. Their rendition of 10cc's "I'm Not in Love" topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and was featured on the soundtrack for The Next Best Thing.

Subsequently, Olive’s visibility diminished as they went on hiatus. Kellett transitioned to writing songs for other artists to prioritize family commitments; meanwhile, Boyle joined Enigma as a vocalist and independently released her solo album What About Us exclusively through iTunes in 2007.

Interest resurfaced in 2009 when Tinchy Stryder issued his version of "You're Not Alone." Around this period, Olive announced plans for a third album including Boyle and guest vocalists, targeting an early 2011 release; however, it remained unreleased as of 2014.

Reception

At the 1997 Ivor Novello Awards ceremony (held on 28 May 1998), Kellett and Taylor-Firth received the Best Dance Music award for "You're Not Alone". The track was later covered as a single in 2002 by German dance producer ATB.

During their American promotional tour for Trickle, Olive observed that approximately 60–70% of their audience identified as gay, culminating in a concluding performance at the San Francisco Pride festival.

Olive is often categorized alongside mid-1990s trip hop and electronica acts such as Moloko, Beth Orton, and the Sneaker Pimps. Their song "Miracle" was included on the soundtrack for the 1998 film Sliding Doors.

Studio albums

Album Title	Information	Highest Chart Positions
		UK	AUS	US Heat
Extra Virgin	Release date: 19 May 1997 Record label: RCA Available format: CD	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center
Trickle	Release date: 30 May 2000 Record label: Maverick Available format: CD	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center
"—" indicates the album did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles

Single Title	Release Year	Highest Chart Rankings					Associated Album
		UK	AUS	IRE	US	US Dance
"Miracle"	1996	118	—	—	—	—	Extra Virgin
"You're Not Alone"		42	—	—	—	—
"Miracle" (reissued)	1997	41	—	—	—	—
"You're Not Alone" (reissued)		1	40	3	56	5
"Outlaw"		14	—	—	—	4
"Miracle" (second reissue)		41	—	—	—	10
"I'm Not in Love" 1	2000	—	—	—	—	1	Trickle
"—" indicates the single did not chart or was unavailable in that market.

¹ – Issued exclusively within the United States.

Music videos

Video Title	Year of Release	Director Name
"You're Not Alone"	1996
"Miracle"		Karen Lamond
"You're Not Alone" (alternate version)	1997	Pascal d'Hoeraene
"Outlaw"
"You're Not Alone" (US edition)		Timothy White
"I'm Not in Love"	2000	Natalie MacGowan Spence

Awards

Year	Nominated Work	Award Name	Category Name	Outcome
1997	"You're Not Alone"	Ivor Novello Awards	Best Dance Music Composition	won

External links

• Archived official Maverick-era website via the Wayback Machine